As Lewis put the cuffs on Sheriff Redding, Redding kept his eyes locked on Nahla. His face displayed nothing but pure contempt.
“You ruined everything, you little nosy bitch?—”
“Aye, y’all better get his ass on somewhere before I catch an assault charge,” Cannon said, stepping closer to Redding and Lewis.
Lewis nodded and aggressively led Redding to the back of his SUV. Nahla kept her eyes on the vehicle as it drove away, not even noticing that Capri and Mace had joined them outside the car.
The rest was a bit of a blur. The news station asked Nahla a series of questions, some of which she answered. For the most part, though, she directed them to her article, which would be released the next day.
Once the four of them were back in the car and on the way to Jasona, one thought kept playing in her mind:
It’s over.It’s finally over.
Deputy Allen’s wife had been arrested in their driveway.
Several other deputies were detained at their own station, and the judge who had granted all the raids had been brought in as well.
The CBI swept the homes and business locations of everyone involved and found even more hard evidence that would ensure real justice was served.
Nahla, Cannon, Mace, and Capri were just finishing up dinner at his grandmother’s house when Agent Lewis called Cannon’s phone. He answered and placed it on speaker.
“Wassup, Agent Lewis?”
“Hey, are you with Nahla? I thought you all would like to hear this.”
“Yeah, we’re all here. What happened?”
“I thought it would take longer, but the state has already approved property reversal proceedings. Every family whose land was taken will receive it back—plus restitution.”
“Thank you, Jesus,” Mama Porter cried out, while Capri stood and started screaming. Nahla’s breath hitched, and her vision blurred as tears pooled in her eyes.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Cannon placed an arm around her and pulled her closer.
“No, thank you,” Agent Lewis said. “Without your investigation, without your diligence, we never would have known. I just wanted to be the first to tell you. You all enjoy the rest of your evening.”
With that, Lewis hung up, and everyone at the table took turns congratulating Nahla while celebrating the good news.
“You good?” Cannon asked. His voice was low so that only Nahla could hear him.
“Never better,” she replied, meaning every word.
Her article,Home Grown Secrets: How Power, Silence, and Corruption Consumed a Small Town, would be released in five national newspapers, as well asThe Citizen’s Eye,the next day. Now that she knew all the families would be getting their land back, she could truly let this go and step into the next phase of life—hopefully with the man sitting beside her.
Nahla frownedas Cannon turned on Jefferson Street.
“Cannon, I thought your house was on North Jackson.”
“It is.”
“But you should’ve turned the other way to get there,” she said, pointing behind them.
“Just ride, baby.”
“Iamriding, but I thought I was about to see your house for the first time.”
It had been a week since her article was published, and she spent that time at home. As nice as the safe house was, Nahla missed her home and was happy to get back to it.
